


Joe Hardy's Top Five Huggers Worldwide

by knockoutqueenoftheunderworld



Category: Nancy Drew (Video Games)
Genre: Cuddling, Hugs, M/M, joe is bisexual, there's a dog, this is so stupid
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-12
Updated: 2017-01-12
Packaged: 2018-09-16 23:24:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,568
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9294305
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/knockoutqueenoftheunderworld/pseuds/knockoutqueenoftheunderworld
Summary: What it says on the tin.





	

5

Joe loved meeting new people. He loved getting hugs even more. Combine the two, and it could even be a life-changing moment.

Joe loved those.

“Hi!” Ryan chirped as soon as the Hardys entered the garage. She yanked off her work gloves, haphazardly throwing  the blow torch aside and ripping off the protective mask. It landed unceremoniously on the floor.  “You must be Nancy’s friends-” Ryan tilted her head and grinned. “The Hardy boys?” Her hair was fire engine red and her face kind and open; she had freckles and a pair of goggles perched on top of her head like a crown.

Frank snorted. “Sounds like you’ve heard of us.”

“All good things. Some great.” H er arms flew to her hips and a metal part clanged against the floor. Joe scrambled to pick it up.

“Here,” Joe said, ever the gentleman.

“Thank you,” Ryan said awkwardly , although she seemed mostly unfazed. “Anyway,” she intoned, “Nancy said you needed help.”

“Yup,” Joe said. “A buddy of ours has been rigging cameras and museum exhibits are moving around-” His voice dropped to a whisper, “-of their own free will.”

“Shut up, Joe.” Frank rolled his eyes. It wasn’t the first time that day, nor would it be the last, Joe was certain.

Ryan laughed. “Sounds sweet. What do you need me to do?” Ryan pulled the goggles down her face and snapped them over her eyes.

“First, payment.” Joe rummaged through his satchel and produced the biggest bag of gummy bears they had available for purchase at the gas station. “For your service,” Joe proclaimed, presenting Ryan with the candy. He bowed in a flourish and Frank inclined his head to her and saluted.

“Aaah!” Ryan leapt forward, ignoring the gummy bears, and into Joe’s arms; he nearly dropped the bag. “Thank you! And you’re welcome in advance!” Her right arm went above his left shoulder and her other one under his right. It was a bro hug if Joe had ever had one. She held him loosely, but she was soft and relaxed and grinning into his shoulder.

God, Joe loved hugs.

“This is gonna be  _ so _ fun!” Ryan cheered, pulling away from Joe with the bag and popping a gummy bear into her mouth.

“Great!” Joe replied. Those haunted statues wouldn’t know what hit them!

* * *

4

“They need homes,” Nancy said.

“You don’t  _ have  _ to take one,” Nancy said.

“I know you’re busy,” Nancy said, “but they’re so bored, locked up all day.”

And since Frank can’t say no to Nancy, here they were at the pound.

Joe wanted one. Joe really wanted a dog.

“Hey girl,” Joe cooed, on his knees. The rottweiler five feet away sniffed at him, then meandered over. Joe rubbed her back, gently moving upwards to see if the dog was okay with pats on the head. The dog huffed and gave Joe a toothy dog grin. “Awww, who would be scared of you?” Joe warbled in his baby voice.

“Most of the population,” Frank remarked drily. He was crouching in the corner, trying to get another dog to pay attention to him. It clearly wasn’t interested. Frank was really more of a cat person.

Joe ignored him. Frank was a killjoy. “Who’s a cute ghost dog?” The dog looked at him blankly. “ _ You are! _ ” Joe squeaked and vigorously petted the dog’s fur. Her tail picked up speed and she excitedly licked his hand. “What’s your name?”

“Her name’s Spot.” Fenton was looking through a binder with details about the individual dogs. He had wanted another hunting dog for a long time, Joe knew.

“We’ll have to rename her. She’s the best, Dad!” She licked Joe’s hands. Frank abandoned the other dog he’d been greeting and sat down beside Joe. The dog panted, sniffed and pawed him.

“Gypsy,” Frank blurted. Joe gasped.

“Pretty name for a pretty girl,” Joe crooned. “Awww, Gypsy,” Joe cautiously wrapped his arms around her. When she offered no resistance he buried his face in her shoulder.

Gypsy’s tail wagged and she licked Joe’s nose and eyes.

“Who’s a good little snuggler?”

Fenton was speechless when Frank and Joe turned to stare him down. Their dad approached and greeted Gypsy, who escaped Joe’s hold to meet the other man. Joe watched as Fenton feel deeply in love with her.

“Not bad for the former terror of Moon Lake, huh?” Frank said.

“Not bad at all.” Fenton scratched under Gypsy’s chin.

Joe smirked. Guess the decision was made.

* * *

3

Joe… was probably the closest thing Bess had to a gal pal. Nancy was always off on adventures, George was a workaholic, Frank generally sucked at talking to women who weren’t suspects, and Ned was Ned.

So when Bess called Joe in tears over some guy at three in the morning Joe grabbed his stash from the DVD cabinet, threw on his favorite hoodie, put a wriggling Gypsy on her leash, and drove the hour to River Heights in forty-two minutes. One pit stop to the nearest convenience store later, Joe knocked on Bess’ door with a gallon of ice cream, a handful of KoKo Kringles, and an extra large green tea.

Bess was still teary. Gypsy pulled on her leash, yanking Joe forward so she could say hello properly. Bess’ posture was limp and weighed down. Gypsy jumped up on her.

“Come in,” she told Joe after a long moment of dog affection.

“So what happened?” Joe asked, dumping the food on the table and pulling off his hoodie to give to Bess.

“He was a jerk!” Bess cried. Then she took a deep breath and shuffled her feet. “Uh, did you bring the one with Rick Arlen and the opera singer with the eyebrows?”

“Right here.” Bess rushed to collapse on the couch and Joe handed her the ice cream and two spoons, grabbed the movie and set up the TV. He plopped down next to her as soon as the trailers started rolling, brandishing the remote. A blanket hung over the back of the couch; he snatched it up and threw it over their laps.

“Thank you,” Bess muttered, leaning on his shoulder. She breathed deep, in and out. “You smell good.”

“Thanks.”

Her arms were around Joe before he could blink. “Thank you,” Bess muttered into his neck, and Joe laughed and squeezed her tightly.

* * *

2

“Joe!”

No sooner had Joe set one foot out of the car than he had an armful of Aunt Gertrude. She squeezed with a boa-like enthusiasm, which Joe knew was born of worry and love and anger.

“Hey, hey,” Joe wheezed, struggling to breathe. Aunt Gertrude immediately pulled away and Joe braced himself for what he knew was coming.

“You run off every five minutes after the nearest cold trail you can find, with or without your brother, but _ Frank _ is sensible enough to know to warn someone before coming into imminent danger, speaking of which,  _ what  _ possessed you two to split up?” Aunt Gertrude took a deep breath, but was interrupted by Frank coming out to tackle Joe to the ground.

“Where’ve you been, idiot?” Frank snapped. “No, don’t say anything, I know where you’ve been, I can’t believe Dad went without me to find you-”

“We’ve been worried sick!” Aunt Gertrude cried. “If I were your father I’d ground you for twenty years!” Frank and Joe pulled themselves up off the ground, and Aunt Gertrude pulled him into another hug. “Good God, we were so worried…”

“It’s alright, Auntie,” Joe replied, holding his aunt close. “I’m alright.”

Every time anything dangerous happened… But Joe wouldn’t trade Aunt Gertrude’s protectiveness for the world.

* * *

 

1

Sonny threw his arms around Joe’s waist between one heartbeat and the next. Joe felt his emotions swirl around in his chest. His suitcase clattered onto the floor beside them. Sonny held him just right, in the night when Joe woke up from a nightmare or when they went to a movie theater and cuddled up. Sonny just  _ knew _ . Joe could swear Sonny had a sixth sense for hugging.

Joe knew many great huggers. Frank probably made the top ten, at least, but he wasn’t higher because he always let go first. Nancy was great, but she couldn’t focus on just one person or object for too long before she discovered something else to investigate. And George didn’t initiate contact, so Joe didn’t, either.

Sonny… Sonny felt just right.

Joe wouldn’t mind developing a sixth sense for hugging Sonny.

“I missed you,” Sonny sighed against Joe’s neck.

“I like the green in your hair. And I hope you didn’t destroy anything,” Joe replied, nestling his head in Sonny’s warm chest. “Or use up all the tin foil.”

“I may have painted the stars on our ceiling,” Sonny confessed. Joe leaned back up to look into his boyfriend’s eyes. Those purple frames had splotches of yellow on them.

“Glow in the dark?”

“Yes,” Sonny intoned with a shit-eating grin.

Joe shoved his nose onto Sonny’s shoulder and said gleefully, “Frank’s gonna be so pissed! Ugh, you smell like carbon and paint.” He slumped further into Sonny. “I’m tired.”

When Sonny tried to end their hug Joe stopped him with a high-pitched, very manly grunt. Sonny ran his hands up and down Joe’s back, and took his hand to lead him to their big bed. 

Joe couldn’t wait for all the hugs that would follow.

**Author's Note:**

> wrote this while high on positive comments on my other j/s fic. i'll see you all in therapy.


End file.
